Colombo, February 14
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav delivered a witty response during the pre-match press conference ahead of the high-voltage India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash on Sunday, giving a humorous update on whether star opener Abhishek Sharma will feature in the marquee encounter between the two arch-rivals.
The much-anticipated clash in Colombo comes after a brief boycott by the Pakistan cricket authorities. Abhishek Sharma, who missed India's match against Namibia in Delhi due to a stomach infection, remains a doubt for the match tomorrow. The left-handed opener is known for his quickfire and fearless starts with the bat, and a massive box-office attraction could be missing from tomorrow's clash if he does not play.
Ahead of the clash, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha wished Abhishek a speedy recovery and expressed his team's desire to play against India's very best players.
"I really hope - we all know he is a good player, and I really hope he plays tomorrow because we want to play against the best team they have, and I really hope he is recovering well and can play tomorrow," said Agha during the pre-match presser.
Responding humorously to Agha's comments, Suryakumar Yadav said during the pre-match presser, "Chalo theek hai, if he wants him to play then we will play him tomorrow (Okay, if the Pakistan skipper wants him to play, we will play him tomorrow)."
On the all-rounder Washington Sundar, who was seen practising with both ball and bat ahead of the Namibia clash in Delhi, but did not feature in the match, Surya said, "He joined the team in Delhi. That means he has been cleared by COE (BCCI's Centre of Excellence). So he is ready and good to go."
Sundar has been out of competitive action for a while, last playing in the first ODI against New Zealand. He featured in the warm-up match against South Africa but has not yet played in the T20 World Cup so far.
- ANI
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